"Roll out free school meals" say campaigners as Scotland's children go back to school

Thousands of Scotland's school children who benefited from a hugely popular Scottish Government pilot scheme to provide free school meals to all children in Primary 1 to 3 are finding themselves once again having to pay up or miss out on a healthy lunch.

As children return to school this week campaigners are calling on Scottish Government Ministers and councillors to work together to continue the free school meals pilot, and to roll out the initiative as soon as possible.

According to John Dickie, head of the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland and a leading member of the Free School Meals Campaign;

“The Scottish Government’s excellent free school meals pilot for primary one to three pupils has already led to many more children getting a healthy meal in the middle of the day. We urge Ministers and councillors to find the money to continue the pilots and roll out free school meals as soon as possible. Families are already bearing the brunt of rocketing food and fuel prices and free school meals are proving a vital benefit.”

Marion Davis of One Parent Families Scotland, another leading supporter of the Campaign added:

“Free school meals make a vital contribution to boosting children’s health, concentration and readiness to learn as well as relieving the pressures on already hard pressed family budgets. The sooner children continue to benefit from what has been a brilliant pilot initiative the better.”

Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance, said;

This has been one of the Government’s most welcome policies. At a time when too many families are already living on hopelessly inadequate incomes it’s vital that Ministers and councillors work together to maintain the momentum and ensure children don’t have to wait another two years to reap the benefits of free healthy lunches at school”

Media contacts:
John Dickie, Head of CPAG in Scotland on 0141 552 3656 mobile 07795 340 618

Notes for editors

1. Parents whose children have benefited from the free school meals pilot in Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire are available for interview.
2. The Scottish Government funded five local authorities (Fife, Scottish Borders, Glasgow, West Dunbartonshire and East Ayrshire) to provide free school meals to all primary 1 to 3 pupils from October 2007 to June 2008), with a commitment, following evaluation, to rolling out the initiative across Scotland in 2010.